At Mephisto's Café
by GeckoMoriaShadowLord
Summary: AU.The bell jingled, the people entered. Mephisto's Café. The Earth has seen the rise of a new race, the Fruit Users. Yet they are shunned, discriminated against, and feared but resistance rises. A preternatural tale of humanity and dark philosophy.


**Dedication: **This is for **Green-san **for being dank. Girl, there just ain't enough of like you. I, as the great Usopp of you crew, got your back even if I run around screaming like my ass is on fire and my afro is catching. xD For you, I tried my hand at Urban Fantasy. I would have updated **Prada** for you, but I wanted something more…personal. xD Oh yeah, **Merry Christmas. **

Note: _**At Mephisto's Café **_is an AU Adventure/Supernatural/Angst/Drama/Light Romance/ Humor. There is no yaoi and no detailed hetero pairings. It is hereby disclaimed. It is rated **M **(next chapter) for swearing, fight scenes, dark philosophy, and crude humor. Enjoy xD Be warned: I f-bomb quite frequently and have a strange sense of reality.

_**Prologue **_

~0~

The bell jingled, the people entered. Mephisto's Café.

He lifted the steaming mug to his lips and flicked his tongue out, lapping at the aromatic steam which swirled whitely from the hot, brown liquid. The black hair hung around his face, obscuring eyes which would have struck anyone who saw them as boundlessly cheerful.

But even if his hair had been combed neatly to the side and his amiable, handsome face so revealed; the good cheer which permeated his person would have been lost on every single individual occupying the cafes vicinity at the precise moment.

The large black tattoo engraved onto the man's naked back evaporated all attempts at conversation with him. The large skull and crossbones screamed in mute testimony to exactly what this man was. The inhabitants of the café slowly, unconsciously, gave him and the stool he was perched on, wide berth.

The bell jingled, the people entered. Mephisto's Café.

A stranger walked in, black bushy hair tied back by a Rasta-colored bandana. His face was drawn and worried, but upon seeing the man's tattooed back, the wrinkles faded and his thick lips drew up in a relieved, cheerful smile. He plopped down on the stool next to the tattooed man and clapped a hand warmly on his back.

And so the story began.

"Man, am I glad to see you Ace," the newcomer said cheerfully, but keeping his tone low, "You've disappeared for a while now. We all freaked out and Chopper was swearing up and down that you'd been captured by the Seraphim. I mean, the way he said it, you'd think he actually _saw_ you brought down and dragged away."

The man called Ace laughed, "Are you sure that wasn't you filling his head with lies…Usopp?"

"I—I don't know what you are _possibly _referring to—"

"Well, you can tell Chopper and the rest of them that I'm perfectly fine, quite healthy, and still firmly possessed of both my testicles," Ace remarked, smiling. "I just wasn't around for a while 'coz I was busy finding out some stuff."

Usopp chuckled, "Will do Ace. Will do. But they'd much rather hear it from your own lips. I'm heading over to Luffy's right now. Why don't you come with? Everybody would be pretty happy if you showed up."

Ace shook his head, "Nah. Just tell 'em that you saw me and that I'm alive. I'm not finished with my own shit yet, I got things to do."

Usopp shrugged and waved away the waiter which approached, "All right. Whatever floats your boat man. But be careful wherever you're going. They're getting pretty bloodthirsty I hear."

"I think I'd know that better that you Usopp," Ace smiled, his words kind, but jibing. "I nearly got my head decapitated last week when I fucked up and accidently used my Fruit while I was fighting off one of those bastards."

The man beside him hissed between his teeth. "Shit, Ace. You need to be more careful! What the hell were you up to?"

They were both silent as a chatting couple passed by near them. Then they continued.

Ace just laughed again, "I wasn't doing anything. Apparently I was _suspicious_ so they tried to place me under arrest. Naturally, I resisted. Except they weren't sure if I was a User or not, so they were kind of pulling their punches, but I fucked up. I used my Fruit."

He paused, smile fading.

"Burned three guys to crisp."

~0~

After the black haired man had left, leaving a few dollars at the counter to pay for the coffee, Usopp ordered himself a cappuccino¸ lots of cream please.

Luffy would be disappointed, but not heartbroken. The strawhat knew that Ace could handle himself and any shit life threw his way.

But still, things were getting risky. Maybe Ace, who was one of the most powerful Users Usopp had ever met, was unable to sense the shifting malevolence in the atmosphere. But he, just an ordinary Human who wasn't even as strong as Luffy or Sanji or Zoro; he could feel it almost out of instinct. That shifting. That morphing in the air.

Things were not going to end good.

The seraphim, the so-called protectors of the peace, the ones who had sworn in the most High's name to exterminate the Users from the face of the Earth. Amen.

They were getting bold, restless, scared. Usopp knew. He knew from the news, from the way security was tightening, from the scared look behind their thick, black glasses. They were apt to do anything. Ace needed to watch his back more carefully.

And again he issued up a thankful prayer that he himself was not a User. He was safe, safe from the Seraphim. Them who had proclaimed that all Users were threats to the public safety and demon born.

_They have eaten from the devil's larder. They have supped with him and he has given unto them Fruit from his tree. Fruit which allows the Users to shift forms, to change into elements, to have, in short, devilish and demonic abilities. _

_Children of the Damned. Do not suffer them to live. _

"Bullshit." Usopp murmured fiercely, and dropping his dollar on the counter, got up and left, mindless of the strange looks shot at his departing back.

The bell jingled as he left Mephisto's Café.

~0~

_**To be Continued **_

**Author's Note: Thank you for Reading and Reviewing! **


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